After nearly a month in police custody and three months in jail, BJP leader Bernard N. Marak today became a free man.
The Tura MDC who was released on bail from Tura jail was greeted by a large number of supporters who garlanded him and shouted slogans in his support.
Speaking to some media persons, Marak who is also the State BJP vice president said that he would fight the 2023 Assembly elections from South Tura seat which is now being held by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.
Meanwhile, the State BJP has welcomed the release of Marak from jail “despite the best efforts of the NPP government to keep him under lockup”.
BJP State president Ernest Mawrie said that the cases against Marak have no basis or proof, and that it is only “despicable political vendetta”.
Mawrie said that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is aware of the rising popularity of Marak and is scared of losing the peoples’ mandate in Tura.
“The people of Tura and the State have already made up their mind to oust the NPP government in the upcoming elections,” Mawrie said.
He also challenged Conrad to fight only from the South Tura seat and not hedge his career by fighting on two seats.
“Conrad should face the might of Bernard Marak in his own backyard,” Mawrie added..
Mawrie called Marak a crusader, and urged him to continue his fight against the “blatant corruption in the system”.
Marak has earlier got bail from the Meghalaya High Court in connection with the alleged running of a brothel in his farmhouse and the seizure of arms and ammunition from the premises.
On November 14, he got bail from the High Court bench of Justice Wanlura Diengdoh in the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl in the farmhouse.
Justice Diengdoh observed that there was no direct evidence linking Marak to the alleged sexual assault of the girl.
Marak was arrested from Hapur district in Uttar Pradesh on July 26 after he allegedly absconded following police raid on his farmhouse near Tura where they claimed there was “sex racket”. 73 people were also arrested during the night raid.
